干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

The source region of the Yellow River, located in the northeastern portion of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, plays a critical role in water conservation, biodiversity protection, and wetland conservation. Aeolian desertification of this area is an important concern. Remote sensing and GIS technology were employed to assess the trends in aeolian desertification from 1975 to 2005. The monitoring results showed that, aeolian desert land increased from 15,112 to 17,214 km(2) during 1975-2005. In addition, it was found that the area of aeolian desertification increased rapidly from 1975 to 1990, was stable from 1990 to 2000, and slightly decreased from 2000 to 2005. Increasing temperature, overgrazing, and drainage of wetlands have been key driving factors of aeolian desertification. Thus, to control the expansion of aeolian desert lands in the source region of the Yellow River and to rehabilitate existing desert areas, the priority should be given to altering human behavior in these areas.